It used to take a clear six hours drive to Montreal from Toronto, then add a half-hour for a refreshment/bio break. These days you can knock off one hour because the standard motorist moves at 110 to 120 km per hour up the Highway, known by commuters as the 401.
Gabriel was kind to use his fire-engine red car to take me to Pie IX Boulevard and the temple for ISKCON Montreal. It was a real pleasant cruise, so time flew by. We even managed to get a full hour Gita Chat in with host Vaishnavi from
April Fools’ Day is celebrated yearly on April 1, and today I thought of Srila Prabhupada’s instruction that we remain fools before the spiritual master, as stated in a room conversation in Bombay on August 16, 1976.
A devotee asked, “Even nitya-siddha has guru . . . Even the liberated soul, nitya-siddha?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Liberated soul never says that ‘I am liberated.’ As soon as he says ‘liberated,’ he’s a rascal. A liberated soul will never say that ‘I am liberated.’ That is l
Over the past year, I’ve had a few health issues, so regularly going on sankirtan was put on hold. Recently, though, I was able to do a book table at the Vegan and Art festivals for our Sankirtana Team in ISKCON Alachua.
I headed up a new party and drove more than an hour with two other ladies to the Vegan festival. When I arrived, I felt the effects of my tired material, miserable body.
Then, on top of that, I was having a hard time getting people to stop.
My teammate said, “Don’t worry. Just
Our 4th week started with a sad realisation that after all the practicalities are sorted and families settle a bit, it starts to hit them what actually happened. We were very proud to be able to provide work, accommodation and school for children in Walbrzych, Wroclaw, Krakow and Warsaw. For those who want to stay in Poland we got the registration sorted, waiting for some small government funding, of course that might take a while, but at least there is hope.
Then we started to hear reports of
March 29–As the conflict in Ukraine enters its second month, Niranjana Swami, GBC representative for Ukraine, addressed the Governing Body Commission (GBC) of ISKCON with a report on Ukraine, the devotees affected, and future planning. The following information is drawn from that report. For the purpose of this report, Niranjana Swami explained that due to the natural relationships with devotees currently sheltered in neighbouring regions, some facts on those areas, such as Crimea, would also b
ISKCON Mayapur is happy to inform you that the Government of India, through its National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) program, has approved the construction of Prabhupada Bathing Ghat in Mayapur, for which they have sanctioned nearly Rs 15.5 crores (USD 2 million).
The project would be built by Engineering Projects India Limited, one of the construction arms of the Government of India. EPIL is an experienced company that has constructed over 600 projects in more than ten countries to date at a
What did I learn today from sastra (scripture) or from the words of the guru?
In the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna asks Krishna appropriate questions, with all of them being answered, of course.
Another item that I read from the book Chasing Rhinos, by Shyamasundar, left me satisfied:
“Sometimes, just like the wild tiger, you have got to control by repression. But when the tiger is under control, there is no question of repression. You can play with the tiger; he becomes your friend. So, repression is
Hare Krishna Dear Devotees,
Here is a link to some ecstatic and melodious Hare Krishna Kirtan that was captured during the ISKCON Laguna Beach Kirtan Mela in March 2022.
It features Indradyumna Maharaj, Vaisesika Dasa, and Agnideva Prabhu along with local talent.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKKaC0m0HIfOU58X_lPXD1x_GV5gh3XUS
Please Chant, Dance and be Happy!
Govinda Ghosh was one of the three brothers Govinda, Vasudev and Madhav, who were all dear associates of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu. According to Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (188), Sri Govinda Ghosh is a sakhi named Kalavati in Goloka Vrindavan, who beautifully sings songs composed by Srimati Vishakha Sakhi.
Govinda Ghosh, in Mahaprabhu’s lila as well, was a celebrated singer with melodious voice. He, along with his brothers, was present in the kirtans at Srivas Angan, in the ki
On encountering Hare Krsna devotees chanting on the street, people respond with every reaction from amusement to anger. Few understand what the chanting is all about. To many, it seems a frivolity, often inspiring the remark “Get a job!”
But there’s nothing frivolous about chanting the names of God. Srila Prabhupada had great faith in the transformative power of chanting. He told us that simply by chanting Hare Krsna we would become self-realized. He spoke from experience and on the basis of th
First Installment
With commentary by Sri Srimad Jiva Gosvami and translation and purport by Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya (108) Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami
This is the first installment of the Brahma-samhita, the Hymns of Brahma, including a foreword by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, the translator and commentator, and the first two verses and purports of the Fifth Chapter of this work. Brahma is the first created entity in this universe, born out of a lotus flower sprouting from the
The greatest peace formula is simply this: Lord Kṛṣṇa is the beneficiary in all human activities. Men should offer everything to the transcendental service of the Lord because He is the proprietor of all planets and the demigods thereon.
BG 5.29, Purport: The conditioned souls within the clutches of the illusory energy are all anxious to attain peace in the material world. But they do not know the formula for peace, which is explained in this part of the Bhagavad-gītā. The greatest peace formul
The following reports have been sent to ISKCON News by the Share Your Care Team
1: Vraja Jivana Das and Yamuna Jivani Devi Dasi live in Oleshki in the Kherson region, which is presently blockaded and under Russian occupation. Currently, it is not possible to go in or out of the city and no humanitarian aid is allowed in. Due to this, stores ran out of provisions and have been empty for a couple of days now. The devotees are very grateful for the financial support that was gi
I belong to the road, at least the trail. That was the mood and spirit of our troupe that returned from the weekend Festival of India roadshow. We were reflecting on the fabulous time, grateful that we could be part of the journey. How can one ever repay the good opportunity given to us by the Supreme.
I sometimes wonder what or where I would be if not for those considerate monks I met, fifty years ago, on Elm St. in Sudbury. They changed my life, gave it purpose, principles and procedures. The
On a trip to Hawkes Bay, NZ, as part of our Every Town and Village project (ETV), I was at a book table at the Hastings Warehouse. A mature lady walked straight over and began looking at the books. She then spontaneously grabbed japa beads and asked the price. She wanted four strings of beads.
She said that she used to do a lot of meditation and wanted to get back into it. I encouraged her to also take books, as they will help her deepen the quality of her meditation and learn more about the cu
When Tota Gopinatha Dasa arrives at the Chilliwack Community Services building driving a shiny black Harley Davidson motorcycle, the loud rumbling pouring out of the polished silver tailpipes turns every head in the parking lot. At first sight, the long hair tied back into a ponytail and the big belt buckle might suggest that another biker from the halfway house has arrived for an appointment with his parole officer. But when he walks in and takes his seat behind the supervisor’s desk, you noti
Lord Krsna has innumerable expansions. As far as Krsna Himself is concerned, there are six opulences which are always present knowledge, wealth, fame, strength, beauty and renunciation. He has these opulences in totality, whereas created beings have them in part only.
Knowledge
In the world there have been men who have been considered very rich in knowledge Socrates, Plato, Sir Isaac Newton, Galileo, Francis Bacon, Da Vinci, Einstein, etc. History has afforded us innumerable geniuses whose thou
The Melbourne ISKCON devotees living in the western suburbs of Melbourne Australia have for years participated in the annual local Hindu Holi festival in which they have incorporated a mini Ratha Yatra parade.
Many hundreds of people from the culturally diverse community attended the festival and the devotees engaged them all in the festivities.
With the cooperation of the festival management, the devotees were able to distribute books and prasadam (sanctified food), and much more.
The highligh
